"A 2025 study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, surveyed more than a thousand college students to find out how they thought food affects their sleep and dreams. About 40% said certain foods make their sleep better or worse. Only 5.5% said food changes their dreams, which suggests there is not one surefire, nightmare-inducing snack, so much as sensitive people whose guts and sleep are tightly linked."
"The study also found that people who notice food-dream links also tend to have more frequent nightmares in general and more food sensitivities. In this day and age, we understand more of the complexity of the gut-brain axis, the information superhighway between the central nervous and digestive systems. The study seems to show that because our digestion has a direct line to our brains, when irritated, it makes noise - and funny pictures, too."
More than a thousand college students reported how food affects their sleep and dreams. About 40% reported certain foods change their sleep quality, while 5.5% reported food changes their dreams. Desserts and sweets were most commonly blamed, followed by dairy, meat, and spicy foods. Fruit, vegetables, and herbal tea were associated with better sleep. People who notice food-dream links tend to have more frequent nightmares and more food sensitivities. The gut-brain axis provides pathways for digestive irritation to influence brain activity and dream content.
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